Lantern, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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bands to watch, Bathetic Records, concert video, kung fu necktie, Lantern, Lantern band, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band

A Lantern is a device used to illuminate an area desired by the wielder.  On July 11, 2012 the Philly-based rock heavyweights of the same name decided that they wanted to see Fishtown lit up with plain nasty guitar work by both Zach and Emily, bass line trade offs, booming saxophone, hints of harmonica, and steady percussion.  The performance was the first of their summer tour and had the crowd intrinsically hooked.

On the heels of yet another diverse and powerful tape now out of Bathetic Records, Lantern continues to put out fully developed albums in variously intertwined musical dialects. Drawing comparisons would potentially derail clearly seeing the minds that drive the direction of the band for what they are:  immensely talented and original.  This is not half-cocked derivative sound.  We love it and wish concerts were more frequent.  Music needs musicians and sound like this.

I rest my words now and direct you to our videos from the evening below:

Quilt, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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brooklyn, Burger Records, concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, mexican summer, Quilt, Quilt band, R5 Productions

Quilt weaves a refreshing psych-folk sound with both laid back and cut loose guitar and drums.  The Boston-based trio joins several projects producing quality throw-back stylings ripe with variation, texture and originality.  John Andrews, Anna Rochinski and Shane Butler have put music out on several of our favorite labels including Mexican Summer and Burger records and perhaps for this reason drew our intense interest initially. Only highly listenable tracks could sustain it.

Playing numerous songs off their late 2011 release, Quilt, as well as new tracks to be on a yet to be releases album, the band put forth a solid first Philly performance.  We wish the time honored tradition of no encores by an opener was ignored.  More tracks would have been welcomed and enjoyed.  As Anna switched back and forth between guitar and organ while providing vocals, John toiled away mesmerizing on the skins and John flowed between solo and beat chiming in on vocals as well, time stood still and we felt lucky to be there.

White Fence, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s 0518

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bands to watch, Drag City Records, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Los Angeles, R5 Productions, Spotify link, white fence, white fence band, woodist records

White Fence is one of Tim Presley’s stunning projects hailing from the sunny left coast.  In addition to The Strange Boys, Hair,  and Darker My Love, Presley delivers a garage sound that culls upon tones from an era gone by, namely the late 60’s, while concurrently sounding grounded in 2010’s garage folk punk revival (now we are making genres up). This was the second time we have caught his act at Johnny Brenda’s and we dare say it was even better than the last.  His current effort Family Perfume volumes 1 & 2 is chocked full of sturdy tracks and is an amazing listen.  It would seem there is no stopping the waterfall of music being produced.

++ White Fence on Spotify ++

White Fence played a sick set of tracks that laid out the red carpet for two tracks he would play with Ty Segall in their Hair project.  Since it is impossible to really overshadow ones-self, we simply point out that which was better was irrelevant.  White Fence alone made the show worth every penny and more.  We had been following the project since its eponymously titled debut in 2010 and our liking has only grown with each release – now on number three.  As such, we are proud to present several videos from that May 18th performance performance at JB’s in Philly.  Do yourself a solid and go see him shred:

Dirty Beaches, Live @ FUC

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Alex Zhang Hungtai, Canadian Bands, concert video, Dirty Beaches, Dirty Beaches Band, first unitarian church, fuc, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions

Dirty Beaches is Alex Zhang Hungtai and Alex is Dirty Beaches.  The boutique label holy-grail maker engineers tracks of dirty croon-filled depths.  His stage presence has an amalgam of personifications peering through it; although, their intention is rightfully mysterious. We saw glimpses of Chuck Berry and Elvis through the dimly lit stage and sludgy tracks.  Based out of Canada, Dirty Beaches comes through Philadelphia several times a year and we are damn lucky for it.

A Dirty Beaches show touches on auditory sensibilities difficult to define but easy to appreciate.  Blazing new trails in sonic bliss, the band graced the FUC stage on May 3rd, 2012 and delivered a reverent performance  to his musical influences and the lucky crowd.  Grinding through numerous tracks and ferociously brandishing his guitar Alex, with his Dirty Beaches bandmate, provided us with yet another exhibit behind the crime of missing his live performance.  You can beat the case by catching his July 23rd performance at Johnny Brenda’s after his Spanish tour.  In the meantime, we have some dark and dirty videos:

Crystal Stilts, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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brooklyn, concert video, Crystal Stilts, Crystal Stilts band, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Sacred Bones, Slumberland Records, Spotify link

Crystal Stilts played mind melting psych post-punk fuzz at JB’s in Philly on April 15th.  The quintet out of BK is comprised of the talents of Brad Hargett on vocals, JB Townsend on guitar, Kyle Forester on keyboard, Andy Adler on bass, and Keegan Cooke on drums.  After great buzz in 2008, the band took a hiatus and returned full force in 2011 with the LP In Love With Oblivion.  Taking many cues from 60’s psych rock, Crystal Stilts maintains a fresh edge and tantalizing sound that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

++  Crystal Stilts on Spotify ++

Ripping through mostly new songs of their 2011 effort, in addition to several classics, Crystal Stilts created an atmosphere in JB’s reminiscent of a different time and place.  Graphics projected on the giant right-angled screens behind the band showed racing images of fleeting landscapes of indistinguishable matter. The electric organ sound of the keys with acid guitar and haunting vocals cemented that aura as space in between tracks was filled with the pysch drone of hung notes and strum teases.  An amazing performance from these guys who are better than ever, check out the Crystal Stilts live below:

 

Bleeding Rainbow, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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Bleeding Rainbow, Bleeding Rainbow band, concert video, HoZac, johnny brendas, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, R5 Productions

Bleeding Rainbow played Johnny Brenda’s in Philly on March 30th to a sold out crowd.  The band had taken to facebook prior promising a trashing performance and dammit, they delivered.  It seems that every time we see them, their configuration is slightly different.  On this night, Sarah switched between guitar and bass.  Regardless who is playing what, Bleeding Rainbow always brings intense psychedelic shoegaze punk to bear.   Add to that the obvious fun they are having doing what they do and Bleeding Rainbow is a Philly band to be seen – I know we have said this before, but we will continue to say it until they grow out of our beautiful city.

Check out some video from the JB’s performance and peruse these previous performances for more info on the band (NYE Show, Union Transfer Show).  Also, be sure to get out and see them April 13th at PhilaMOCA!

 

 

 

Bear In Heaven, Live @ Voyeur

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Bear In Heaven, Bear In Heaven band, brooklyn, concert video, Dead Oceans records, Home Tapes, live music, live philly concerts, making time, making time philadelphia, Spotify link, voyeur nightclub concert, voyeur philly

Philly is lucky this year.  It gets to see Bear In Heaven at least twice in 2012.  We have been looking forward to seeing them since we heard You Do You two and a half years ago.  The Brooklyn based band formed by Jon Philpot plays an experimental, psych-synth, indie rock medley and is damn hypnotic.  Bear In Heaven was playing this Philly show at Voyeur on March 9th prior to their SXSW jaunt and they made it count.  Tracks were delivered with the same sound as captured on wax and the show was wildly engaging with Jon coming into the audience and dancing while also playing multiple instruments and singing.  Joe Stickney, and Adam Wills laid down guitar and drums seamlessly and the entire set piece was brilliant.

++ Spotify Playlist ++

With their most recent album, Bear Rest Forth Mouth, getting some best new music honors from Pitchfork we know the critics realize the power in Bear In Heaven’s music too.  On the back of this release will come I Love You It’s Cool, their fourth release since 2003.  We look forward to this and Bear In Heaven’s May 2nd performance at FUC in Philly.  Cop your tix here.  We did (plus Blouse off Captured Tracks is opening and they are simply fantastic).  Check the Bear In Heaven vids:

Far-Out Fangtooth, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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concert video, Far-Out Fangtooth, Far-Out Fangtooth Band, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, Stiltbreeze records

Far-Out Fangtooth, the best-named band in Philadelphia and recently voted one of the top 12 best musically by The Deli, ferociously closed out a truly psychedelic evening at KFN on February 8th.  The band is well known around the city for putting out a sludgy, guitar driven psych-punk sound. Certainly one of our favorite acts to catch, FOFT put out a new album at the end of 2011 which you can please your ears with below:

On this evening, Far-Out Fangtooth was dressed to impress and they wasted no time getting into their groove.  Laying down blistering guitar solos and the usual stand-up drumming (pun intended for those familiar with FOFT’s drummer, Vince), it was another solid performance from the four: Joseph Kusy on Guitar/Vocals, Tania Mesterhazy on Bass, Vincent Alvare on Percussion/ Vocal and Nicholas Kulp on Guitar/Vocals.  Delivered from the dark KFN stage, back-lit only by the usual red beading along the curved ceiling and a spotlight of their own inclusion, the sound was truly the star.

When you see Far-Out Fangtooth on the bill, do yourself a favor and go see them if their racket is up your alley.  Great music coming out of our city for sure.  Check out some of our video below:

Royal Baths, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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bands to watch, brooklyn, concert video, indie music, Kanine records, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, Royal Baths, Royal Baths band, woodist records

The Brooklyn, by way of San Fran, duo known as Royal Baths (of Kanine, Woodsist, WZRD MNTN record labels) put on a mind-melter at KFN in Philly on Wednesday, February 8th.  Jeremy Cox and Jigmae Baer have just released their second album which builds upon their previous take on droney, psychedelic rock and is a fantastic listen.  Delivered live, we could feel the heavy sound vibrate through our bones in the most fantastic of ways.  We wanted them to play all night.

The Royal Baths’ touring ensemble is made up of four including John Rau, Turner Halsey.  The quartet breaks into song at varying pace but with consistent intensity.  Solid guitar work and steady drums are capped by eerie and trippy vocals.  Every song played left us hoping for another with the same metaphorical evisceration.  Beside ourselves was the prevailing feeling.  Guitar cords so sharp we felt cut to pieces.  Music so enveloping, we hope a second chance to see them comes soon.  Get out and see them when you can – disappointment is a word that drops from the dictionary when Royal Baths are concerned.  Check out some video below:

The Sea Around Us, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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bands to watch, concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, Strawberry Mansion, The Sea Around Us, The Sea Around Us band

No better metaphor exists for the band than that of it’s own name.  The Sea Around Us attempts and succeeds in breeding a rare musical flavor, tucked in between genres; and yet concurrently defining.  Rallying from home, the Philly-based 4-piece of Seth Auster-Rosen, Brendan Evans, Sean Gallagher, Ricardo Lagomasino are no shoegazers.  Drawing on diverse influences, The Sea Around Us is a Strawberry Mansion effort that, like it’s area, deserves to do big things.

On January 5th, 2012 at JB’s in Philly, The Sea Around Us headlined the show in strong fashion.  A fun show and one that you should really just go to.  Seriously.  Check out the guitar work.  Sick stuff.  Vocals are unique and powerful.  Drummer’s crescendos are dramatic and exciting.  Bass line supports it all.  Go see em.  We will start on the video series below with the set-opener:

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